


Her Return

by SuperiorNerd



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-08 02:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6834445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperiorNerd/pseuds/SuperiorNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steven hits his head on the way back from a picnic with Connie, Rose wakes up in Steven's body. How will the gems react? Will they ever be able to see Steven again? Rated Teen just in case. Feedback appreciated ;) First 6 chapters are a little short. They get longer after that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to have this fanfic on both fanfiction.net and A03. Will be updated more frequently after finals are over. First 6 chapters are a bit short, they get longer after that.
> 
> I'll probably update on fanfiction.net first, though probably only by a few minutes. Here's the link!
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11610678/1/Her-Return

“Lion!” Steven calls. “Come on we have to go!” Steven was ready to meet Connie over at the lighthouse to have a picnic, but Lion was nowhere to be found. After a few more minutes of searching he started heading towards the lighthouse by foot. “It's not that far anyway.” He declared. As he made his trek towards the lighthouse he remembered one of their first picnics together, where Steven healed Connie’s eyes. “It's almost been a year since that happened.” Steven thought out loud. He continued thinking as he climbed the hill to the lighthouse. When he was about to leave the house Garnet was somewhat reluctant to let him leave. Steven shrugged it off as her seeing something happen to him in her future vision. Steven wasn’t too worried, for if the chance of danger were too high then Garnet wouldn’t have let him leave in the first place.  
As he reaches the top of the hill he saw Connie and waved. She waved back enthusiastically, and motioned for him to hurry up and sit down.  


“Steven you’re 10 minutes late!” Connie exclaimed “I almost thought you weren’t coming.”  


“No, I just couldn’t find Lion, so I had to walk. Sorry!” Steven said. “So what’s new?”  


“Ugh” Connie grimaced. “My Mom keeps pestering me about gem stuff, and i’m worried she might change her mind about the whole thing and just ban me from seeing you or the gems again.”  


“What?!?” Steven semi-yelled “She can’t do that, you’re my best friend!” Connie blushed  


“I’m probably just overreacting. She’s just trying to make sure i’m okay and that I can handle all of this.” Connie says gesturing around her.  


They continued to talk about events that have been going on lately in their lives, but as Steven was eating his sandwich he couldn’t help but think back to earlier about when Garnet hesitated in letting him leave. Steven shrugged it off, he’ll ask her about it later.

**Earlier that day….**

Garnet was worried. When Steven asked if he could go out and have a picnic with Connie, she looked into her Future Vision to see if anything too dangerous were to happen at the picnic. She saw a few dangers, but they were extremely unlikely. A 0.2% chance of them happening to be exact. 

“Of course.” Garnet said “But, don’t come back too late.”  


“Aye aye Garnet.” Steven saluted goofily. He walked to his room to make the necessary preparations. Garnet smiled. Steven could always find a way to brighten her day. She decided to double-check her future vision just to be sure nothing would happen. She internally gasped. Something had changed.  


“Wait!” Garnet yelled as Steven was about to walk out the door.  


“What is it?” Steven asked?  


Garnet took a moment to ponder. The action that she has seen occur does have a higher percentage of happening than the others (around 9% to be exact) but it is still pretty low. After a few quick thoughts she deemed it safe for Steven to go to the picnic.  


“Never mind.” Garnet said in her stoic voice. “It’s nothing, you can go.”  


Steven looked back in worry and confusion before finally leaving through the door. It's probably nothing Garnet reassured herself, it has a low chance of happening yes.. it does have a higher chance than the others, but low all the same. After a few moments Garnet heads back to her room.

**After the picnic…**

“Uh-oh. I better get going.” Steven said, seeing it was getting dark.  


“Yeah, I better be heading back too.” Connie agreed.  


They headed their separate ways. Steven heading back to the gems, and Connie to the car waiting nearby. Steven waved goodbye and headed home. On the way home he was humming a strange tune that he can’t remember hearing anywhere. As he tried to place where he heard it before he strays his attention from the path, and trips on a rock. Before he has time to attempt to break his fall with a bubble he bangs his head on the stone wall near his house. As Steven fell to the ground his eyes and gem flashed a bright pink, and he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Garnet is waiting by the door somewhat nervously. The sun set a few minutes ago, and Steven hasn’t returned. Had her vision come to pass? Unlikely, but not impossible. She considered getting Amethyst and Pearl, but it was probably nothing. Most likely Steven just lost track of time. She waited a few more minutes, then headed off into the night to search for him. She didn’t have to go far. He was about 30 yards away from the house lying in the sand unconscious.  


“Steven!” Garnet shouted in fear. She ran over to him and nearly split up at the the spot. 

There was a small pool of blood by his head, and he wasn’t moving. After standing still for a few moments she shook herself out of her stupor and forced herself to check his vitals. She heaved a huge sigh of relief. There was still a pulse, and it looked like his head wound had already clotted, on further examination it didn’t even look very serious.  


“ _That could have been much worse._ ” She thought.

Garnet picked up Steven and carefully brought him back to the house. She cleaned him up and brought him to bed. She looked into the future and saw that he will have a concussion. Sighing with the relief of him only sustaining minimal damage, she entered the temple to notify Amethyst and Pearl of Steven’s condition.  
They reacted as you would suspect. Pearl overreacting and worrying about Steven, Amethyst freaks out a bit, but calms down when she hears Steven is ok. Pearl decided not to let Steven out of her sight for the rest of the night.  


“No. Steven needs his rest.” Garnet stoically declared.

After stifling Pearls protests she re-entered the temple, and decided to meditate until Steven’s awakening. She needed to figure more out about this injury, when she checked earlier she couldn’t detect any long term effects, but, as she has discovered through many millennia using her future vision, possible futures could pop up at any moment. Let's just hope luck was on their side.

**The Next Day**  
Steven still hasn’t awoken, and Amethyst and Pearl are becoming worried. 

“What if he never wakes up?” “What if he’s in a coma?”  


“Enough.” Garnet said maybe a tad too roughly. “Steven will be fine, he’ll wake up soon.” This statement mostly stifled the gems fear, and they began to relax

A few hours passed, and Pearl had to go into the temple to compose herself after half-sobbing all over the floor.  
Amethyst had taken to eating to calm her nerves. It helped, but after a while she got bored, and decided to take a stroll outside, after asking Garnet to come find her when Steven was awake, she lept out the door into bounced in the direction of Beach City. Garnet suddenly found herself alone with Steven. Well… as alone as you can be as a fusion. After about half an hour she heard a soft moan from Steven’s bed. She quickly ran up the stairs and stopped at the foot of his bed. She saw Steven struggling to open his eyes, and as he opened them Garnet gasped. His eyes were bright pink.


	3. Chapter 3

**In Pearl's Room**

Pearl couldn’t handle it for much longer, if Steven didn’t wake up soon she was going to lose it. She sighed, Garnet said he would wake up soon. She should go back into the house soon.

“It just won’t do for Steven to wake up without me there.” Pearl thought. So after quickly composing herself, and dashing away her doubts about Steven waking up, she headed through the temple door and back into the in the house. 

**Meanwhile at Vidalia’s…**

Vidalia was a bit shocked to find Amethyst at her front door looking teary eyed. After leading her back inside, and Amethyst explained what happened Vidalia nearly spit out her tea. Steven was hurt?

“Well at least Garnet said he would wake up right?” Vidalia asked.

“Yeah, I suppose so..” Amethyst replied. 

“Then why are you still here? Don’t take this the wrong way, I enjoy your company immensely, but Steven will surely want you to be there when he wakes up.” Vidalia advised.

“Yeah you're right, I’m making a bigger deal out of it then it is. Garnet did say it wasn’t as serious as it looks.” Amethyst replied. “Thanks for the talk.”

“Anytime.” Vidalia said. Amethyst rushed out the door and quickly made her way back to the house.

**Back to Garnet…**

“Steven?” Garnet said barely above a whisper. Steven looked dazed and confused, and as he looked up at me.

He whispered “No..” Then said in a gradually rising voice. “No.. no no! I’m not supposed to be here!” Now it was Garnet’s turn to be confused.

“What do you mean?” Garnet asked. He looked up and tears were falling down his face.

“I wasn’t supposed to come back!” Steven nearly yelled. Garnet grabbed Steven by his shoulders and picked him up.

“Steven. What do you mean?” She said in a stern tone.

“I...I….I’m….” He was sobbing now. 

“Your what?” Garnet asked. 

“I’m... Rose.” Steven or rather Rose replied. Garnet looked confused, then realization dawned on her face. She froze up, and dropped Rose onto the floorboards. The temple door opened, and Pearl walked out.

“Garnet? Has Steven waken up yet?” Pearl asked. As she walked towards them she noticed Garnet shaking, and Steven sobbing on the floorboards. “What’s wrong?” She immediately asked. Just at this time Amethyst opened the screen door and came inside.

"Yo. Is Steven awake.” She asked. Then she took in the scene around her. Garnet shaking, Steven sobbing, and Pearl looking worried. “Woah” Amethyst said “What happened?”

“It wasn’t supposed to happen this way!” Rose cried out. “He was supposed to live his life….” She continues to sob. 

Amethyst and Pearl looked extremely confused. Garnet finally composed herself.. barely, and explained the situation to both of them. They froze up. Then they heard a small thump as Rose passed out on the floor. Garnet then picked her up, and placed her on the bed.

“We’ll talk about this in the morning.” Garnet said.

“But..” Pearl said

“NO! I need time to…. think.” Garnet replied. Pearl and Amethyst were petrified. Rose was back? What would this mean for Steven? Pearl quickly ran to her room. As soon as the door closed she started to sob uncontrollably. 

Amethyst was left in the house with Ste-Rose in the bed. She quietly walked up the stairs and stared disbelievingly at the huddled body on the bed. How could this have happened. As tears start to form in her eyes she slowly walks back towards the temple and enters her room, leaving silence in her wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose woke up. Then suddenly remembered the predicament. How could this have happened? He was supposed to….she began to sob again. This wasn’t the plan.. he was supposed to live his human life cycle, and THEN she was supposed to come back, maybe, or maybe she wouldn’t. Rose ceased her crying and cradled Steven’s pillow. “I’m sorry…. i’m so so sorry..” She whispered. After a few moments she got out of the bed and stood up. “Wow” Rose thought “I’m really small.” She suddenly noticed her surroundings for the first time. “Is this the temple?”. Rose walks carefully down the stairs, still not entirely used to Steven’s body yet. As she descends she looks around and locates the temple door. “I wonder…” Rose summons the power within her gem to open the door. The door flashes a bright pink and opens up to Rose’s Room. Huh. It worked.

**Meanwhile in Garnet’s Room…**

Garnet couldn’t hold it any longer. With a flash of light she splits into Ruby and Sapphire.  
Ruby looks extremely angry and Sapphire is in complete sorrow.

“How could this have happened!” Ruby screamed “Rose took over Steven’s body? Is that even possible?!”

“I don’t know!” Sapphire cried. How could she not have seen this coming?

Ruby continually paced back and forth until there was a noticeable indentation in the rock.

“So are we just going to ignore the giant elephant in the room?” Ruby said her anger slowly diminishing into sadness.

“What do you mean?” Sapphire said. Though she knew exactly what she meant, (Duh! Future Vision.) She just didn’t want to remind herself that Steven is gone.

“Rose is back! What are we going to do about that.” Ruby semi-yelled. Sapphire noticeably winced.

“Well it’s probably not her fault she's back, you heard her out there she was distressed.” Sapphire said. “Maybe she knows how to bring Steven back.”

“Maybe.” Ruby replied. Though they both knew that they were being extremely optimistic, if Rose did know how to bring him back she probably wouldn’t have had that breakdown in the bedroom.

They continued to sit together in silence. As they leaned towards each other their gems glowed brightly and they transformed into Garnet once again. As soon as she was about to meditate a loud boom could be heard from within the temple.

**Meanwhile in Pearl's room...**

Pearl didn’t know whether to cry or rejoice. Rose was back, but Steven was gone. Pearl suddenly felt extremely guilty for being even somewhat happy at this situation. Pearl shook her head. Now’s not the time for this. Someone needs to keep a level head.

“Oh my…” Pearl suddenly thought “What are we going to tell Greg?” A question best left for tomorrow, when Greg wasn’t sleeping. Pearl continued to sob until she heard a loud boom resonant through the temple.

**And of course Amethyst’s room.**

Amethyst couldn’t believe it. Rose was back? Who cares about that? Steven is gone!   
Amethyst quietly sobbed in her makeshift bed of junk. Why? Couldn’t Garnet have seen this coming? Eventually her sadness turned to anger as she started to take her rage out on her piles upon piles of junk. She summoned her whip and continued to destroy her surroundings. From all of the noise she was making she didn’t notice the loud boom coming from within the temple.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose walked into her room… it had been such a long time.

_“The wonders Steven must have discovered here.” _Rose sadly chuckled to herself. She wondered if she could still summon things.__

“Room, I would like a mirror.” Rose commanded. The Room complied, summoning a full length mirror right in front of her. She smiled. 

“So this is what he looks like.” Then another wave of sorrow and guilt began to come over her again. As if the room reacted to these feelings it started to shake violently. Rose was suddenly alert, and summoned her shield. 

The room was falling apart. More like exploding actually. The clouds were violently combusting. Rose ran for the temple door as fast as she could and jumped through. She landed on her face as the door closed behind her.

“What…..” Rose sputtered out of breath. “happened?”. She saw the temple door open and the Crystal Gems walked out.

“Rose.” Garnet asked. “What was that noise?” 

“The Room…” Rose sputtered still not entirely used to this out of breath thing. How did humans live like this?

“What? What do you mean!?” Pearl practically screamed. 

“I’m not sure…after I summoned a mirror the room starting exploding.” Rose explained.

“Uh-oh.” Amethyst said. “That’s probably not good."

“Agreed.” Garnet said. “This doesn’t bode well.” She noticed Ste...Rose. She was looking very tired. This was most likely the first time in her existence where she needed actual sleep. 

“Rose, get some rest, you look a bit worn out.” Garnet advised. Rose nodded wearily and started towards the temple door, but suddenly remembers she just destroyed her room. Embarrassed, she blushed and headed towards Stevens bed. The moment she covered herself in Steven’s blanket she was asleep. 

Pearl and Amethyst went back into the temple. Garnet stayed around a bit longer. She noticed Steven’s phone on the kitchen counter. It was lit up. She walked over to it, and checked the notifications.  
It read _“Three missed calls from Connie Maheswaran.”_

 _“Uh-oh.”_ Garnet thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Garnet turned off the phone with a sigh. “ _A problem best left for tomorrow._ ” With one final glance back at where Rose was sleeping she silently walked to the temple door and into her room. 

Rose awoke with a start. She was filled with momentary confusion, then a dull sadness as she remembered the events of the previous night. She sat up and looked around at the room. His room. The son she always wanted, but was never able to meet. Steven. That’s what they agreed to call him when he was born. The memory alone was enough to make her start to tear up.

“How could this have happened?” Rose thought. She didn’t expect to come back after giving birth to Steven. Though she always thought of it as a possibility, she thought it would happen if and when he died, not while he was still alive. 

She sighed, and decided to busy herself by looking around what she supposed was her son’s room, house might be more accurate.

“ _They built a whole house just for him…_ ” Rose thought with a smile. She could almost see them building it in her mind's eye. 

“I wonder if Greg’s still around.” She added as an afterthought. She quickly decided not to dwell on that because it would probably just bring up more guilt that she didn’t want to deal with at the moment.

It seems that the Sun had yet to rise, as it was still dark outside. Rose glanced at the various stuffed animals that were lying on the bed, there seemed to be a Bear with a happy expression, a Bunny with a sad resigned expression, and a Cat that looked like it was struggling to stay awake. Then as she looked a bit to the right there seemed to be some sort of triangle at the foot of the bed. 

_“Wait a minute..”_ Rose thought as a robotic arm covered her mouth.

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were in the Bubble Room contemplating how they were going to tell Connie and Greg about the current situation.  
“Why don’t we just put up the fence again? Then nobody will be able to see him… erm her.” Amethyst suggested. 

“No, Greg would probably just break it down with his van again.” Pearl pointed out. 

“And it would be unfair to Greg and Connie.” Garnet said with just a touch of bitterness. 

“Oh, yes of course!” Pearl said nervously.

Garnet sighed, then said “We’ll just explain the situation to them and see where it goes from there.”  
Everyone agrees, and they exit the temple so they can inform Rose of the plan, but when they got there all they found was an empty bed.


End file.
